Amusement apparatus



Nvl s, 1923. 1,473,522

s. w. SHEPHERD AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1923 3 SheetsFSheet 1 AEVBPS/NG S WITCH I INVENTOR. S. W: Shepherd,

A TTORNE Y.

s. w. SHEPHERD Nov. 6, 1923. 1,473,522

AMUSEMENT: APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6 .VV. 8 hepherd,

A TTORNE Y.

Nov. 6, 1923. 1,473,522

S. W. SHEPHERD AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1923 s Sheets-She et s I Q Q All HIHIP- F U 9 1 NV EN TOR.

S. W. Shepherd,

)A TTORNEY.

. to impact unexpectedly against a person Patented Nov. 5, 1923.

t as-2 PATEN w s;

SOLOMON W. SHEPHERD, OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed'June 12, 1923. SeriaLNo. M4343.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON \V. SHEP- HERD. a citizen of the United States, residing at Orlando, in the county of Orange and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement,

Apparatus, of which the following is a speci fic-ation.

This invention relates to an amusement apparatus, designed primarily for use at amusement parks, shows, carnivals, etc, and has for its-object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, an apparatus of such class including a concealed traveling element for creating a current of air directed through a walk, )artition or flooring standing or walking thereon thereby affording considerable amusement, especially to an'onlooker at the disco-mfiturc of the .person impacted by the current.

A further object of the invention is to provide an amusement apparatus, in the manner as hereinafter set forth, with a comtrollable portable means propelled'and 0pera-ted at one side of a walk, :flooring or partition for creating and directing an air-current theret-hrough, at different points thereof, on a person or persons on the opposite side of said walk, flooring, or partition, thereby providing for amusing situations when the person or persons is or are inn-- pacted by the air current;

Further objects of the invention are to provide an amusement apparatus which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, compact, amusing in its use, conveniently operated, readily installed, and comparatively inexpensive.

YVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 'is shown an embodiment Y of the invention, but :it is to he understood that changes, variations and modifications can be :r'e'sorted to which. fall within the scope of the claims :h'ereimto {appended In therdrawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several -vie vvs: V

Figure l is a top--pl=an view, broken away,

f an amu ement apparatus in accordance with this 1 11vent1o11.

tl'ielio'oring or platform, of a ,se slats, it can be islet up. {in afmanner, shown iuFi-g. 9, and which consists of; a platform 18, provided throughout with Fig. 2 is side elevation thereof broken away. 1

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the travelling air current creating element.

Fig. 4L is a top plan view of said element.

- Fig. is an end view thereof. 7 V

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view,in section, of said element.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of said element. I e V t Fig. 8 is a side elevation, of a modification, of the connection between the motor and fan shaft.

Figs. 9 and 10, are fragmentary views, in plan, of modified forms of floorings, or platforms.

Fig. 11 is a modified form of track shown diagrammatically. I 1

Referring to the. drawings in detail, 1 denotes a base, upon which arranged the track rails, 2, 3,-wh-ich provide a track, and

arranged between the track rails 2, '3, is a- -conductor element l. In lieu ofemploying the base 1, the rails 2, 3, may be-mounted on suitable ties arranged on the ground. The

track formed by the rails 2, 3, is indicated generally by the reference character 5, and

in Fig. 1 the track is illustrated as in the form of the digit eight, but it is obvious that the track -5 can be of any suitable shape, for 1 example set up in the manner as indicated at 6, Fig. 11. The conductor element 4, corresponds in contour, to the shape of the track 5.

Leading to the conductor element 4, a

slats (11, providing narrow openings 12,

for the passage upwardly therethrou gh of an air current. In lieu of, setting up of spaced ggratings 14,;for the passage of the air current, or the platform can be set up hi h ns s s o 1 1151 atic-rm. 1 'n rid throughout with perforations 16. It is to be understood however, that the walk, flooring, partition, or platform can be constructed in any suit-able manner so that it will be provided with means at various points throughout to enable the passage therethrough of an upwardly directed air current.

Travelling on the track 5, is an air current creating element, and which as it travels over the track 5, is adapted to direct a current of air up through the walk, platform, flooring or partition, and said element owing to the employment of the reversing switch, can have its: direction of travel changed when desired, so that the person or persons on the platform will not know in which direction such element is travelling, whereby the air current will be d rected through the platform at unexpected points.

The air current creating and directing element is indicated generally by the reference character 16, and comprises a base 17, in the form of a rectangular frame, a top 18, in the form of a rectangular frame, and which is of the same contour as the contour of the base 17, and aligns therewith, and the said base 17, is connected to the top 18, by vertically disposed pairs of corner standards. The standards of one pair are indicated at 19 and the standards of the other pair at 20. The standards 19 and 20, are connected to the base 17 and top 18, through the medium of corner pieces 21, and hold fast devices 22. Secured upon the top of the base 17 is a pair'of spaced supporting members 23, and secured to the top 18, centrally there I of, is a brace member 24, provided with a depending bearing 25. Arranged between and secured to each pair of corner standards, is an angle bar 26, to which is attached a brace bar 27, provided with a central opening 28, and a bearing 29. Secured to one corner of the base 17 and extended on one of the members 23, is a supporting plate 30, and arranged over said plate 30, as well as connected with one of the corner standards, is an arm 31, through which extends the upper end of a transmission shaft 32, and the said shaft 32, extends down through the plate 30, and has its lower end provided with a worm 33. To arrest upward movement of the shaft 32, it has a collar 34, carried thereby, and which abuts against the plate 30. The upper end of the shaft 32, is provided with means as at 35, to arrest downward movement of said shaft.

Depending'from the front of the base 17, is a pair of axle hangers 36, in which an axle 37 is journaled, and said axle 37 carries a pair of flanged wheels'38, which are mounted on the track rails 2,3. The base 17 at the rear thereof, is provided with a pair of depending axle hangers 39, in which is journaled an axle 40, provided with flanged rear wheels 41, which travel on the track rails .fast devices 43, is an electric motor 44, and

connected therewith are circuit wires 45, which lead from a trolley 46. he shaft of the motor 44, is indicated at 45, and which carries a pulley 46, driving an endless belt 47, which extends around a groove pulley -18, secured to the shaft 32, and by this construction, when the motor 44 is operated, the belt 47 will drire the shaft 32, under such conditions, the rear axle 44 will be revolved, and the element 16 propelled.

The trolley 46 extends through a keeper bracket 49, which is secured to the rear of the base 17, and the trolley 46 is provided with a collar 49 and also with a coiled spring 51 which is interposed between the collar 50 and the bracket 49 so as to set up a cushioning element for the trolley 46. The lower end of the trolley 46 is provided with aharp 52, carrying a trolley wheel 53, which travels on the conductor 4.

Mounted in and depending from the bearing 25, is a fan operating shaft 54, to which is fixedly secured a fan comprising a hub 55, and a plurality of blades 56, so arranged, that when the shaft 54 is operated, the fan will create and direct an upward current of air through the platform. is connected to the shaft 55, by a collar 57,

The shaft 54 which overlaps the said shafts 45 and 54, and i said collar 57 is fixedly secured to the said shaft, by the hold fast devices 58.

When the motor 44, is thrown into opera tion, due to the closing of the circuit, the element 16 will be propelled over the track 5, and during the travel of said element, the fan will be operated, causing the creating of an upwardly directed current of air which will be projected through the platform at various points thereof for the purpose here in referred. Owing to the employment of the reversing switch, the element 16 can have its direction of movement changed when 00- casion so requires.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings, means is,

vision is had by setting up a clutching device 59, between the shafts 45 and 54 and such device will couple the shaft 54.150 the shaft 45 when the element'16 is travelling forwardly, but'when the element 16 hasits movement reverse, the clutching device '59,

construction can be had which will fall with-.

in the light of the invention as"'claimed. What 1 claim is 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a concealed air current creating and directing elementv travelling on said track, means to provide for the propelling and operation of said element, and an apertured means arranged in operative relation with respect to said element to provide for the passage of the current therethrough at various points thereof.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a continuous track, a concealed air current creating and directing element travelling on said track, meansto provide for th propelling and operation of said element, and apertured means arranged in operative relation with respect to said element to provide for the passage of the current therethrough at various points thereof.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a support arranged thereover and spaced therefrom and provided at various points with openings for the passage of an upwardly directed air current, an air current creating and directing element travelling on said track, and means to provide for the propelling and operation of said element.

l. An amusement apparatus comp-rising a track, a travelling body propelled over said track and including means for creating and directing an air current upwardly, said means operating synchronously with the travel of said body, means to provide for the propelling of said body, and a support arranged over said track and concealing said body and provided with means at various points thereof to provide for the passage upwardly therethrough of the air current created by said body.

An amusement apparatus comprising a track, an electrically propelled-body travel.-

ling over said track and including means for creating and directmg upwardly therefrom an air current,c1rcu1t forming connections for said body, and a support arranged over said track and conceallng said body and provided with means at various-points there-- of for the passage upwardly therethrough f the air current created by said body. 7 6. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, an electrically propelled body travelling over said track and including means for creating and directing upwardly therefrom an air current, circuit forming connections for said body, and a support arranged over said track and concealing said body and provided with means at various points thereof for the passage upwardly therethrough of the air current created by said body, said electrical connect-ions including means for reversing the direction of travel of said body.

7. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a body travelling on said track and carrying traction" means therefor and provided with an electric motor for operating said means and further carrying a fan element driven from said motorfor creating and directing upwardly a current of air during the travel of said body, a support arranged over said track andprovided with means at various points thereof to provide for the passage upwardly therethrough of the current of, air created by said fan element, and electrical connections for controlling the operation of said body,

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a. track, a body travelling on said track and carrying traction means therefor and provided with an electric motor for operating said means and further carryin a fanelement driven from sa1d motor or creating and directing upwardly a current of airv during the travel of said body, a support arranged over said track and provided with means at various points thereof to provide 7 for the passage upwardly therethrough of' the current of air created by said fan element, electrical connections for controlling the operation of said body, and said electric connections including means for; reversing the direction oftravel of said body. s

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature hereto. 7

SOLOMON w. snarl-man. 

